Author Archives: Rachel Smith

Opinion: What the Edlington case really says about our society

By Rachel Smith | Sat 23rd January 2010 - 9:30 pm

David Cameron yesterday accused the Labour government of a ‘moral failure’, citing the case centred around Edlington, near Doncaster which is on trial in Sheffield Crown Court.

I have wanted to write something on this case for a while, and David Cameron’s intervention has proved the final straw. He is, in my view, making unacceptable political capital out of a tragic case, and sadly he can cite several cases where children have been tortured and killed including the Baby ‘P’.

The Tories talk about ‘broken Britain’ and ‘broken society’. Cameron is arguing that the ‘Big State’ has let us …

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Macbrown – a Synopsis

By Rachel Smith | Sat 12th December 2009 - 3:45 pm

Hat-tip and sincere apologies to Master Shakespeare.

In a thunderstorm, three witches decide to meet again on the heath “after the deed is done.”

Next, a captain reports to King Dunblair that Macbrown beat MacMajorwald in battle. Darling adds that the Thane of Cawdor was traitorous to them during the battle.

The three witches confront Macbrown and Banqleson (the Dark Lord) on their way home from the battle. They predict that Macbrown will be King of Scotland, and Banqleson, though never King himself, will beget rulers.

The witches leave and Darling informs Macbrown that he has inherited the title Thane …